Autistic Experience
Authors: Katherine J Bateman, Sarah Emily Wilson, Einar Ingvarsson, Jessica Doucette, William Therrien, Rose Nevill, and Micah Mazurek
Summary:
Autistic adults often face challenges with social and communication skills, which affect many other aspects of their lives such as employment, relationships, and community engagement. This study looks at how visual aids can help adults with disabilities communicate more during social interactions. The study involved five autistic adults and a tool called 'Snack Talk', which provided pictures and symbols related to common lunch-time conversation topics. Researchers observed how often and how well these adults talked before and after using these visual supports. They found that with the visual aids, all five participants talked more often and had better-quality conversations. This suggests that visual communication tools can help adults with disabilities engage more in social interactions, making it easier for them to join in conversations. The study highlights the importance of accessible communication aids in helping adults with disabilities feel included and engaged in social settings.
Authors: Goldie A McQuaid, Colin H Weiss, Alex Job Said, Kevin A Pelphrey, Nancy Raitano Lee, and Gregory L Wallace
Summary:
This study looked at how self-reported stress levels affect autistic adults' day-to-day lives. Past autism research has mostly focused on younger groups and males. For this reason, the researchers focused on including more females than males and included autistic adults. The study used surveys to collect information on how stressed people were, how they completed daily living activities, and how they felt about their quality of life. Researchers found that autistic adults have more stress levels than non-autistic adults, and that people assigned female at birth have more stress than people assigned male at birth. Researchers also found that many of the people who have more stress also feel like they have a lower quality of life and need more help with daily activities.
Mental Health Effects of Mantra Recitation on Autistic and Non-Autistic Young Adults.
Authors: Rachel Catherine Corney
Summary:
Mantra recitation, which means repeating a calming phrase, has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. This study looked at how mantra recitation affects autistic people, who often have anxiety and depression. The study included 19 participants (six were autistic individuals). The participants told themselves "I am calm" or "You're okay" for 30 minutes everyday for six weeks. They completed surveys about their emotions before and after the study. Results showed that both autistic and non-autistic participants had lower levels of negative emotions and had better control over their emotions after the six weeks. These results suggests that mantra meditation can help reduce negative emotions and manage mental health conditions in both groups.
Authors: Allison B. Ratto, Julia Bascom, Sharon daVanport, John F. Strang, Laura G. Anthony, Alyssa Verbalis, Cara Pugliese, Nicole Nadwodny, Lydia X.Z. Brown, Mallory Cruz, Becca Lory Hector, Steven K. Kapp, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, Dora M. Raymaker, John Elder Robison, Catriona Stewart, Ren Stone, Emma Whetsell, Kevin Pelphrey, and Lauren Kenworthy
Summary:
Current tools used to test for autism are not inclusive of all groups of people because past research has been focused on white upper/middle-class males. Many people are missed by these tests, especially older people who can 'mask' their autism. This paper focused on creating a new tool that asks a person if they have common autistic traits. This tool can be used by people of all genders, ages, races, and cultural identities. The tool is called the Self-Assessment of Autistic Traits (SAAT) and was designed to focus on the personal experiences of autistic people (16 and older) instead of just observable behaviors. The creators began by reading what autistic people had to say about their experiences and then developed a questionnaire that was reviewed by a panel of autistic experts. The SAAT was tested to make sure it accurately captures the experiences and traits of people with autism. This new self-assessment provides a more personalized and inclusive understanding of autism from the perspective of the inner autistic experience.
Authors: Goldie A McQuaid, Justine Gendy, Nancy Raitano Lee, and Gregory L Wallace
Summary:
This study looks at the experiences of autistic adults who identify as sexual minorities (non-heterosexual identities). Past research has shown that people with minority identities, like being autistic or a sexual minority, often feel more stress because of things like discrimination, rejection, or violence. The goal of this study was to see how having both of these identities affects stress, mental health, and quality of life. Researchers asked 651 autistic adults to complete online surveys about their sexual orientation, mental health, and quality of life. The results showed that 41.2% of autistic adults also identify as sexual minorities. These individuals reported more stress, anxiety, depression, and a lower overall quality of life. These findings show the need for specific support and awareness to understand the challenges faced by autistic adults with sexual minority identities.
A mixed methods study of autistic adults' mental health therapy experiences (2023)
Authors: Micah O Mazurek, Jessica Pappagianopoulos, Sophie Brunt, Eleonora Sadikova, Rose Nevill, Michelle Menezes, and Christina Harkins
Summary:
Research shows that autistic adults often have co-occurring mental health conditions, specifically depression and anxiety. Although many autistic adults find therapy to help with these mental health conditions, there is little research on how autism may impact how well different therapies work. The goal of this study was to understand the experience of autistic adults in therapy. Researchers studied 303 autistic adults from across the United States and asked them to complete surveys and interviews about their experiences with different mental health strategies. They also collected information about their age, sex, gender, and race. The study found that autistic adults face challenges in therapy, like having trouble communicating and therapists not understanding their condition well. The study shows how important it is for mental health providers to consider individual differences and preferences when selecting mental health strategies for autistic clients. The findings also suggest that specific improvements in therapy practices can lead to more effective and supportive mental health care for the autistic community.